No more staring helplessly at rising grocery bills or, too harried for time, shelling out twenty-five bucks for mediocre take-out. The work of two brilliant problem-solvers, Cheap. Fast. Good!cuts through both the budget dilemma and the time dilemma with 275 recipes for great, family-pleasing dishes, most of which take under 25 minutes to prepare and average out to cost lessand#8212;and usually far lessand#8212;than $2 a serving.

Home Ec simplified

Saving money in the kitchen is as simple as one four-letter word: Cook. But cooking to save means cooking food you and your family are going to loveand#8212;and cooking (and shopping) smart. In dozens of time-and-money-saving tips, techniques, strategies, and solutions, the authors show how to make the right choices again and again.

They'll never know you're thrifty

Pan-Fried Pork Chops with Pepper Medley

Stuffed Peppers with Kielbasa Rice

Zesty Chicken Sautandeacute;

Bayou Stew

Catfish with Pecan Crust

Cinco de Mayo Skillet

Quickie Cacciatore

Perfect Spinach Pesto Pizza

Moroccan Meatballs Over Couscous

Salmon Pasta with Tomatoes and Dill

...Even when it's time to s-t-r-e-t-c-h

Onion Chopped Steak with Easy Gravy

Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs

Fall Sausage and Cabbage Sautandeacute;

Ultra-Easy Veggie Quesadillas

Pasta e Fagioli

My Beef and Barley Soup

Ziti Mexi-Cali

In their two previous cookbooks, Desperation Dinners!and Desperation Entertaining!and#8212;together with over 330,000 copies in printand#8212; Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross showed us how to save time in the kitchen without ever sacrificing flavor. Now the Desperate duo turns to the universally appealing idea of saving money, too. Cheap. Fast. Good! is not a penny-pinching cookbookand#8212;itand#8217;s a and#8220;get smartand#8221; cookbook. Itand#8217;s about planning smart, shopping smart, cooking smart, and, not coincidentally, about eating smart. The work of two brilliant problem solvers, it presents 275 delicious recipes that are thrifty, quick to prepare, and intrinsically family-friendly and healthy, too: Barbecued Chicken and Black Bean Burritos, Sweet Onion Chowder, Bayou Stew, Ham and Asparagus Crostini, Basic Beef Brisket, Perfect Spinach Pesto Pizza, Gayleand#8217;s Country-Style Steak, Souped-Up Chicken Stroganoff. Recipes are filled with techniques for pushing flavor, substituting ingredients, and using whatand#8217;s in the refrigerator or pantry already, and every chapter includes strategies for running a kitchen more economicallyand#8212;The When, Where, and How of Shopping, The Miracle of Menu Planning, Making Your Own Convenience Items, Cutting Up a Roasted Chicken, and more.

Versatile, easy, filling, and deliciousand#8212;what could be better than a freshly made soup or stew with plenty of adult and kid appeal? Ladle out bowls of Turkey Vegetable Soup with Brown Rice, Super-Saver Tortilla Soup, Minless Meatball Minestrone, and Beef Stew andagrave; la Guatemala.

Making Your Own Chicken Stock (10), The Conventional Wisdom of Food Cost Savings (22), Making Your Own Vegetable Stock (38), By Any Name, This Beef is Still Cheap(41), The When, Where, and How of Shopping (54)

Everyday Entrandeacute;es (60)

A dazzling selection of budget-minded entrandeacute;es keeps dinner interesting and inexpensive. Dig into Onion Chopped Steak with Easy Gravy, Pan-Fried Pork Chops with Pepper Medley, Camper's Chicken Pockets, Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs, Catfish with Pecan Crust, and many more.

Buying a Freezer (67), Freezing and the Single Cook (70), The Miracle of Menu Planning (74), Buying a Cheap Ham (81), Making Your Own Convenience Items (86), Motivate Yourself to Real Savings! (94), Cutting up a Whole Cooked Chicken (102), Beautifully Browned Chicken, the Easy Way (109), Eating Healthy on a Budget (112)

Sumptuous Skillet Meals (116)

When you're short on time, skillet meals come to the rescue. Fast and fabulous (not to mention cost-conscious, as well) recipes include Salsa-Cheese Beef and Rice, Mu-shu Pork at Home, Fiery Chicken with Vegetables, Chicken and Apples with Dijon Cream, and Fisherman's Seafood Creole.

Dinner Insurance: How Hamburger Can Save the Day (118), Easy Couscous (122), Draining Ground Beef (128), What Keeps You Out of the Kitchen Or Kitchen Psychology 101 (142), Skin and bone Your Own Chicken Breasts (146), Finding the Lowest-Ever Prices (158)

Empowering Pastas (178)

You can't go wrong with pastaand#8212;the price is right, and it couldn't be faster to prepare. Quickie Cacciatore, Thai Spaghetti Toss, Corkscrews with Chicken and Zucchini, Hungry Man's Macaroni, Tex-Mex Noodlesand#8212;the shapes, the sauces, the toppings are so appealing and varied, there's something for everyone.

Shopping and the Single Cook (182), Expensive Spices and Dried Herbs (190), Tuna Time (222), Other Places to Shop (224), The Last Slice: Making Your Own Bread Crumbs (235)

Fast and Frugal andquot;Sandwichesandquot; (236)

A creative look at combos that are easy on the pocketbook and satisfying on the plate. Barbecued Beef on a Bun, Ham and Asparagus Crostini, Best BLT Melts, Pizza Cordon Bleu, and Fiesta Dinner Nachosand#8212;all delicous and dinner-worthy.

Shopping the Discount Bread Stores (240), How to Use up a Big Hunk of Ham (242), Buying the Cheapest Bacon (248), "New-Fashioned" with Frills (254), Let Them "Cook": Having Kids in the Kitchen Means More Hands on Deck (262), Making School Lunches Reasonable (266)

Simply Satisfying Salads (272)

Great as summer meals and super sides, these salads won't cost you a fortune. Prepare Sweet and Savory Chicken Salad, Easiest Taco Salad, Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Ham, and Divine Deviled Eggs on Greens.

Saving on the Green Stuff (274), Smart Shopping at the Club Warehouse Stores (282), Salmon: the Good-for-You fish (290).

Money-Saving Sides (298)

When you need more than crusty bread to fill out a meal, here are some cheap and delicious go-withs. Barley and Mushroom Risotto, Indian Rice Pilaf, Mexican-Style Black Beans, Maple-Glazed Carrots, Hannah's Corn Sautandeacute;, and Garlicky Smashed Potatoes are just a few of the choices that help round out a meal.

Our Way with Broccoli (307), Corn Muffin Add-ins (310), Think Like Your Grandmother (320), Cooking a Giant Pot of Summer Corn (324), Oven-Baked Sweet Potatoes (336), Inventing Your Own Rice Pilaf Recipe (338), Saving to Share (341).

Budget-Minded Batch Cooking (344)

Here's a smart strategy that's cost and time effective: Cook big batches of dinner basics when you have the time, and defrost them to help jump start dinner when time is short. Basic Beef, Savory Pork Pot Roast, Chunnky Seasoned Chicken, Amazing Baked Potatoes, and Dried Bean Bonanza are just some of the recipes that will give you a head start for future meals.

Keeping Tabs on Your Grocery Inventory (350), Penny Wise and Pound Foolish: Time vs. Cost Savings (355), Super Potato Toppers 367), How to Cook and Store Dried Beans (370)

Sassy Sauces and Toppers (376)

Dress up plain dinner fare with these bright sauces and condiments. Burgers, chicken, pork chops, and sandwiches taste even better with Sheri's Romesco Sauce, Quick Herb Butter Sauce, Pesto Mayonnaise, Super Sofrito, and Pineapple Cranberry Relish.

A Refrigerator Check-up Makes Good Cents (381), Mayonnaise Saves the Sandwichand#8212;and a Lot of Other Stuff (382)

Special Breakfasts at Home (392)

Turn weekend breakfasts into brunch with these stress-free recipes. Serve a Mushroom-Swiss Frittata or Sausage-Pepper Strata, Croissants with Chocolate Gravy, Myra's Monkey Bread, or Pumpkin Raisin Biscuits. Irresistibly good, and no one will miss the long lines at the pancake house.

An Orange Juice Dilemma (397), Pancake Mix Fix-ups (404), Turn Everyday Coffee into a Gourmet Treat (411)

Delectable Desserts (416)

Budget meals can and should include a scrumptious dessert. Here's a full selection of recipes tat cost little to prepare and that you'll be proud to serve: Old-Fashioned Gingerbread with Lemon Glaze, Banana-Pineapple Crumb Cobbler, Grandma's Eclair Cake, Aunt Ada's Cranberry Pie, Caffe Latte Granita, and so many more.

Cheap Desserts from the Store (423), No Need to Be a Gadget Junkie (442)